WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With universities under increasing funding pressure, new analysis from Overton, the world’s largest database of policy documents, reveals that U.S. research is cited in more than 1 million policy documents worldwide, more than any other country. The finding underscores the immense yet under-recognized role American universities play in shaping decision-making across government, healthcare, and industry sectors globally.
Until recently, there has been no systematic way to measure how research translates into real-world outcomes. Overton’s platform changes that, enabling institutions to track where their research is cited in public policy, understand how it informs decisions, and communicate that impact clearly to funders and the public.
“Policy impact reporting is the missing link between academic research and societal progress,” said Euan Adie, CEO of Overton. “We’ve seen the concept take hold in the U.K. and Europe, where funding frameworks require universities to evidence their impact. In the U.S., the need is just as urgent, but the infrastructure doesn’t yet exist. Our goal is to make it easier for institutions to see, measure, and share the difference their research makes in the real world.”
Bridging the Impact Gap
Across the U.S., research offices and communications teams are under mounting pressure to demonstrate the public value of their work amid tightening budgets, rising political scrutiny, and growing skepticism toward higher education. Yet without a shared language or standardized approach, “impact” remains difficult to define and even harder to prove.
Overton’s new Impact Reporting Guide offers practical tools and techniques to help universities build data-driven narratives that connect research to policy outcomes, strengthen reputation, and support funding proposals. The guide shows how to turn policy citation data into stories that resonate with funders, donors, and policymakers. It also reveals how institutions can stand out through transparent, credible impact reporting.
To further the conversation, Overton will host a live webinar, “Building your impact engine: from policy citations to competitive advantage,” on December 8, 2025, at 10 a.m. CT. The event brings together national research leaders to discuss how universities can operationalize impact reporting and integrate policy data into their institutional strategy.
Panelists include:
- Susan Renoe, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Development and Strategic Partnerships, University of Missouri
- Laurie Van Egeren, Vice Provost for Public Engagement, University of Minnesota
- Max Crowley, Director, Penn State Evidence to Impact Collaborative
- Elizabeth Fortune, Administrative Director, Virginia Commonwealth University Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research
“Among all the outcomes we see through engaged research, policy change is perhaps the most important, because policy reverberates throughout systems,” said Laurie Van Egeren, Vice Provost for Public Engagement at University of Minnesota. “By connecting the ways that research contributes to policies that improve people's lives, we can make a stronger, more transparent case for the value of higher education.”
Building a Culture of Impact
Overton has become a trusted leader in Europe’s policy impact landscape, supporting universities with the U.K.’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) and similar initiatives. Now, as the U.S. seeks clearer ways to demonstrate accountability and public benefit, Overton is bringing that expertise stateside.
“The U.S. produces research that drives global policy,” Adie added. “Our data shows that nearly three-quarters of states and major cities cite more research from their local university than from any other institution. That local connection is powerful, and it’s time universities had the tools to see it.”
To download the Impact Reporting Guide and register for the webinar, visit overton.io/strategic-impact-webinar.
About Overton
Overton is the world’s largest collection of policy documents, parliamentary transcripts, government guidance, and think tank research. We make this data available through the Overton.io web application, reports, and an API. Our users include funders, universities, academic journals, and journalists. For more information, please visit https://www.overton.io/
Media contact: Caroline Hansen [chansen@wearecsg.com]
